Welcome to the Jungle

As our cities grow, animals are having to carve out a niche in this most human of habitats. Fredi Devas, producer of the urban episode of Planet Earth II, spent four years getting to know these metropolitan pioneers.

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Our planet’s human population is booming, making the urban environment the fastest growing habitat on Earth. Animals living in or near cities have to cope with constant movement and change. Yet our bustling streets also offer rich bounties in the form of food, shelter, and warmth.

For Planet Earth II, I spent almost four years making a film on urban wildlife. What excited me so much was exploring the surprising new ways in which animals are overcoming the challenges of living in human habitats, carving out a home in these alien worlds.

Leopards in Mumbai

When we set out to film leopards in Mumbai, India, we were hoping to capture them hunting, but, in the backs of our minds, we were questioning whether we would even see one. Film crews have tried before and only captured glimpses of this highly elusive cat. For any large carnivore to survive in the urban jungle, it has to keep to the shadows, and leopards are known for their stealth.

To give him the best chance of spotting a leopard, our cameraman Gordon Buchanan was equipped with a thermal camera, which he used to scan the horizon for warm-blooded animals out at night. This area of Mumbai does, in fact, have the highest concentration of leopards anywhere in the world. During the day, they sleep in a forested park. When night falls, they head into the streets to hunt for domesticated animals (such as dogs and pigs) that make up a large proportion of their prey.

With the thermal camera and a good deal of luck, Gordon was able to capture remarkable footage of urban leopards hunting. But what amazed him most was to see just how close to people they roamed.

Hyenas in Harar